Ukhrul, September 8, 2026: Students of Pettigrew College, Ukhrul, joined a peaceful protest organised by the Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), demanding immediate government intervention over what they described as years of neglect, acute staff shortages, inadequate classrooms and laboratories, poor student facilities and prolonged delays in major infrastructure projects at one of Manipur’s oldest government colleges.
The protest saw students holding placards and raising slogans demanding their right to proper education and basic facilities. The grievances, according to TKS, have repeatedly been brought to the attention of the concerned authorities, but remain largely unresolved.
Ramreichan Keishing, President of the Tangkhul Katamnao Long, said the situation at Pettigrew College had reached a point where immediate intervention from the Government of Manipur was necessary.
Established in 1965, Pettigrew College is the lone government college serving the educational needs of a population of around three lakhs across Ukhrul and Kamjong districts, Keishing said.
According to TKS, the college currently has 12 departments, but only the English and History departments are considered to be in a relatively manageable condition. Most of the remaining departments are facing serious shortages of teaching faculty.
The Environmental Science department, in particular, currently has no teacher available at the college, as its sanctioned teacher is reportedly being utilised at Manipur College.
TKS said that under the requirements cited in accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Pettigrew College requires 86 teaching faculty members. However, only 45 teachers are currently in position, leaving a shortage of 41 teachers.
“This is almost 50 per cent of the total requirement of the teaching faculty members,” Keishing said, questioning how quality education could be delivered when nearly half of the required teaching posts remain vacant.
The shortage of non-teaching staff is even more severe, according to the student body. Against a reported requirement of more than 40 non-teaching personnel, only three are currently in position.
TKS said students should not be made to bear the consequences of administrative negligence, particularly when repeated representations and memoranda have already been submitted to the authorities without any meaningful response.
The organisation also raised serious concerns over the college’s infrastructure, saying students deserve an academic environment where they can learn, develop and compete with students from across the country.
One of the most pressing concerns is the prolonged delay in the construction of the new academic block.
The project was scheduled for completion in 2023. However, more than three years after the stipulated deadline, the building remains incomplete.
The delay has created serious difficulties for students and the college administration. Due to a shortage of classrooms, classes are reportedly being conducted in makeshift spaces, including the garage. Students have also been forced to use portions of the incomplete academic building when regular classrooms are unavailable, particularly during adverse weather conditions.
TKS questioned why a government-sanctioned project could be allowed to remain incomplete for such a prolonged period and urged the authorities to take responsibility for the delay.
Students also highlighted the poor condition of laboratory facilities, particularly in the Science stream.
Solanchon Luikham, Debate and Extension Secretary of the Student Union and a fifth-semester Zoology student, said students were struggling to carry out practical work because of the shortage of laboratory materials.
“We are doing practical regularly, but since the materials are limited, we cannot perform fully,” Luikham said, urging the authorities to address the shortage.
She also pointed to the shortage of faculty in the Zoology department. With only four faculty members available, the department is operating under considerable pressure, she said.
According to Luikham, practical examinations and other academic activities sometimes lead to the cancellation or disruption of regular classes because of the limited number of teachers available.
The college library is another area of concern. Luikham said there is currently no librarian to oversee the library and its maintenance.
She also pointed out that many of the available books are outdated, particularly in the context of the implementation of the new education policy, and called for updated books and learning materials.
Blessing Vasha, a fifth-semester student from the English Department, highlighted the difficulties students face because of the shortage of classrooms and basic facilities.
She said the college urgently needs proper classrooms, toilets and washrooms, as well as a properly levelled ground.
“The numbers of students are growing repeatedly, and we need a bigger ground for all of us to fit in,” Vasha said, pointing out that the existing ground becomes overcrowded during examinations.
Vasha also stressed the need for separate boys’ and girls’ hostels, particularly as increasing numbers of students from different areas are being admitted to the college but are unable to secure hostel accommodation.
According to her, proper hostel facilities are essential for students coming from far-flung areas, while the absence of adequate accommodation creates an additional burden for students pursuing higher education at Pettigrew College.
The TKS has also raised questions over several major infrastructure projects sanctioned for the college but still awaiting completion.
A sum of Rs 14.98 crore was approved for the construction of a new academic block and main gate under the Manipur Minorities and OBC Economic Development Society (MOBEDS). The work was awarded to Y. Sunil Singh, with the work order issued on December 4, 2021.
The project had a stipulated completion period of 18 months, with the deadline ending on June 4, 2023.
Although RCC and brickwork have progressed, essential works including doors, windows, flooring, electrical installations and water facilities are reportedly still pending.
Similarly, Rs 14.28 crore was approved for the construction of separate 100-bed hostels for boys and girls through MOBEDS.
The work order was issued to Y. Sunil Singh on May 17, 2022, with an 18-month completion deadline ending on November 17, 2023. However, the hostel construction remains incomplete, according to TKS.
A further Rs 76.38 lakh was sanctioned for boundary wall fencing under MOBEDS. The work order was issued on October 21, 2022, with a three-month completion deadline of January 12, 2023.
TKS said the boundary wall work has also remained unfinished despite the expiry of the stipulated deadline.
The organisation stressed that hostel accommodation should not be treated as a luxury, particularly for students coming from remote and far-flung areas.
Keishing said hostel facilities are an essential component of ensuring access to higher education for students who cannot afford accommodation outside the college campus.
TKS said the prolonged delays in the academic block and hostel projects had placed an unfair burden on students and were undermining their educational opportunities.
The organisation said it had repeatedly approached government authorities seeking intervention.
Representations were submitted to the Education Minister on September 11 and October 3, 2023; to the Chief Minister on October 26, 2023; to the Commissioner, Higher and Technical Education, on November 16, 2023; and to the Governor of Manipur on July 18, 2025.
Despite these repeated representations, TKS questioned why decisive intervention had not taken place.
The organisation said that if the government was already aware of the college’s requirements and the infrastructure projects had already been sanctioned, the continued delays demanded a clear explanation.
TKS called upon the Government of Manipur, the Directorate of University and Higher Education and the concerned implementing authorities to immediately intervene in the matter.
The organisation demanded that all pending construction works be expedited, firm completion timelines be fixed and the current status of the projects be properly inspected.
It also called for any pending funds, administrative clearances or other issues contributing to the delays to be addressed immediately.
Keishing said Pettigrew College should not be viewed merely as a physical institution but as a vital educational lifeline for the young people of the region.
“Pettigrew College is not just a mere building. It is the future of our students. When we neglect the college, we are not just neglecting the institution, but we are neglecting an entire generation,” he said.
During the protest, students held placards and raised slogans including “Pettigrew College, Our Future, Our Rights,” “Enough of Neglect — Act Now,” “Vacant Posts, Broken Futures,” and “Save Pettigrew College, Save Our Future.”
The slogans reflected the growing frustration among students over the chronic shortage of teachers and non-teaching staff, inadequate classrooms and laboratories, lack of hostel facilities and the prolonged delay in completing key infrastructure projects.
For the students, the protest was not merely about buildings, laboratories or vacant posts. It was a demand for their right to study in an institution equipped to provide the education they need and deserve.
The protesters urged the Government of Manipur to move beyond assurances and take immediate, visible action to fill vacant posts, complete the long-delayed infrastructure projects and restore Pettigrew College to the standard expected of one of the state’s oldest government colleges.
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